To feel so down about this

[Bigfishlittlefishcardboardbox39]

Long story short we bought a property 8 years ago that was over inflated (in hindsight a terrible decision) and now we’re looking at negative equity.
It’s too small for us and when we eventually move out we will be moving in with in-laws to save.
we don’t come from money nor do we have outstandingly well paid jobs, we make enough to get buy but we pretty much live pay cheque to pay cheque.
Our whole social circle has lovely houses, regularly spend money on home improvements and talk about things ie how much things cost (not in a crass way) like it’s nothing. We need a new bath and have been quoted 1k and I don’t even know how we’re going to afford it.
I work PT and my DH FT. His job is particularly labour intensive and long long days. Our mortgage and rent alone is 1800 a month on a 2 bed 1 bath flat (not in London or a particularly sought after location)
We have the gift of health which I know is worth way more than anything material but I can’t help but feel down when I think about my situation. I was with a lovely group of friends today who all have lovely homes and space and a garden etc, then there’s us. We both work so hard and it’s just feels relentless!

I have a lovely home and almost all of the furniture and fittings were bought on eBay and Facebook marketplace! It can be done.

I can't quite picture where you live. You have one window in a two bed flat? Surely, that's against building regulations. And what does 10 visitor hours per month mean?

one window that faces outwards and therefore gets natural light, the other windows face into the building and therefore gets artificial light.
We have dedicated visitor bays and we get 10 hours of time a month, if we want more we have to pay.

I'm sorry OP, you are not alone in falling in the trap of SO.
My friend did, at the time it was the only thing she could afford due to her wages/small deposit etc but her 75% she paid was actually more than what it was if she had been able to buy the whole property, for example she had 75% which meant the full amount would have been 250k. The flats were not worth 250k to buy. By the time the rent and ground rent / maintenance charges she was paying so much.
You may get someone who will buy your share though, just like you were who want to be in a position to get on the ladder. If you can make your money back, think of it as a win, don't worry about making money. These schemes aren't designed to make money.

I haven't read the whole thread so apologise if this has been said already.

Could you borrow some money from family to lower your mortgage payments and get a better interest rate?

Then you would be able to save for repairs and then start paying family member back or pay them back when you sell.

Also stretch you mortgage to the longest term. So say you've 18 years left stretch it to 25 years. You can always lower it in yeats to come your financial situation changes.

Have you spoken to citizens advice? There might be schemes available where there are traders who will do the bath far cheaper. There might also be a way of paying far less out per month. It's worth at least talking to them about the situation.

Why did you buy the place if it's so awful? I don't get it.